Studio 60: "Monday" Review

The cast and crew of Studio 60 return to work after the holiday break.

Studio 60 is back from the break, both the NBC series and the fictional variety show. Watching this first new episode of the New Year, it's hard not to arrive at two different conclusions. One, Danny Tripp is a bit creepy and possibly unbalanced. Two, Aaron Sorkin really doesn't know what his show is about.

The issue with Danny is that his infatuation with Jordan does not appear to be at all healthy. They haven't shared any romantic moments; there's been nothing between them beyond a budding friendship and a working relationship. Furthermore, Danny is a recovering drug addict, so it's possible he is just looking for a hole to fill. Jordan, on the other hand, was just burned by the man who got her pregnant and then wanted nothing to do with her or the baby; while her ex-husband published a book telling some of her most intimate secrets.

Are we supposed to think Danny's numerous calls to Jordan - even switching his number so she won't ignore him - is endearing? Or the "letters of recommendation" that he has sent over? At least Jordan seems a bit horrified by it all, pointing out that Danny embarrassed her. But the look on Danny's face when he tells her he won't stop is a little scary. It's doubtful that Sorkin is taking this relationship somewhere dark and twisted, as it sort of appears, but instead finds this all terribly charming and assumes the audience is rooting for these two crazy kids to get together.

This leads us to the second issue. Sorkin really doesn't seem to know what his show is about. It's sort of about the Studio 60 show, but it's become less and less so as the season goes on. It's now about corporate responsibility and, even worse, an ongoing workplace soap opera. Will Matt and Harriet get together? Will Jordan give in to Danny or will Danny hack her up and ditch her body in the Angeles Forest? Won't Lucy and Tom make such a cute couple?!

Bradley Whitford as stalker Danny Tripp

Yes, yes or maybe, and who cares are the answers, in case you're wondering. But at this point does it really matter? Anyone who knows some of the more sordid stories about what it was like at Saturday Night Live during its various eras can easily see what a missed opportunity this show has become. Take a highly acclaimed and powerful cast, one of the most acclaimed television writers ever and one of television's best directors and somehow, it all amounts to little more than your average episode of NewsRadio, only more pretentious and twice as long.

What's frustrating about Studio 60 is that, with the talent involved, it's a certainty that in an episode that doesn't work as a whole there will be great moments. Matthew Perry became one of the most famous people on the planet because of his great comic timing. There's a reason Stephen Weber has dozens of credits, because he's a vastly underrated actor and he happens to be doing some of his better work on this show. Ed Asner is also turning in an increasingly nuanced performance as Weber's boss. The production values are top notch, the direction solid - all of which makes it frustrating because you cannot toss the show aside as being garbage. It's not garbage, it just feels wrong. It feels like a misguided attempt at an as-yet-undetermined goal. What happened to the speech Judd Hirsch gave in the pilot? Wasn't that what the show as about? Can we get back to that at some point? Please?